Alex Albon has warned Liam Lawson that he would be better served accumulating more experience in Formula 1 before going up against Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
Lawson impressing since his mid-season return to F1 with RB has prompted him to be tipped for a potential step up to Red Bull to replace the struggling Sergio Perez.
The New Zealander landing a Red Bull seat would mark a comparable situation to Albon, who had 12 races under his belt when he was promoted in his rookie season.
Albon managed to retain his place into 2020, but a disastrous campaign with a capricious Red Bull RB16 car witnessed him lose the drive to current incumbent Perez.
The Anglo-Thai racer, who has since rebuilt his reputation at Williams, can understand Lawson’s eagerness to capitalise on Perez’s troubles to earn the gig at Red Bull.
However, Albon has drawn on his adventures to advise Lawson that honing his skillset within a less-pressured RB environment could be the better move for his career.
When asked about Lawson’s situation, Albon told media including Motorsport Week in Brazil earlier this week: “I think Liam’s in a win-win!
“I feel like worst case scenario he’s in an RB, so in my head do you need to jump into the main team that quickly against Max?
“From my experience, it’s not a bad thing to spend a couple of years learning your craft a bit more.
“But of course, if there’s an opportunity and you’re going to have the opportunity, you have to take it.”
READ MORE – Red Bull admits Sergio Perez-Liam Lawson swap in F1 2024 ‘highly unlikely’
Albon can sense ‘pressure’ between RB drivers
Perez didn’t mince his words towards Lawson when the two clashed in Mexico last weekend, stating that his possible successor doesn’t hold the “right attitude” in F1.
Albon believes the aggressive moves that Lawson has pulled since his F1 comeback show the increased pressure that he is under to prove his credentials to Red Bull.
“There’s clearly a bit of pressure between the RB drivers to get that seat, I think you feel that a little bit,” he contended. “I see it in the races, I see in the moves.”
Albon was eliminated on the opening lap at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez when he ended up sandwiched between Yuki Tsunoda’s RB and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
Put to him that he experienced that desperation that he alluded to, Albon quipped: “I was going to say that, but yeah! But that’s just the aim of the game.
“Two hungry drivers aiming for a spot at the top, so I get it.”
Lawson middle finger incident not down to ‘pressure’
Perez’s anger towards Lawson was exasperated due to a second later incident that saw the RB driver raise his middle finger as he breezed past the wounded Red Bull.
“I don’t think that’s pressure, I think that’s actual frustration towards the other driver,” Albon suggested.
“I personally wouldn’t have done that, not in Mexico! At the home race [of Perez]! But no, it’s just drivers. Everyone’s hungry.”
READ MORE – Sergio Perez denies Liam Lawson Mexico clash linked to battle over Red Bull F1 seat
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